1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf ball retriever which enables a golfer to quickly and easily recover the ball which is lodged in a muddy ground hazardous location and the like. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a golf ball retriever having wire loop projections from the front end of an elongated handle, including one wire loop used as a retaining element for loosely engaging the other wire loops.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Retrievers for golf balls are known in the prior art. Many of the golf ball retrievers of the prior art require the golfer to have a substantial amount of patience and luck to actually capture the ball within a cage of the retriever. In a water hazardous situation, unclear water and/or wave movement on the water surface make(s) the retrieval uncertain of success. Many golfers find it extremely difficult to position the cage securely on top of the ball to perform the retrieval, especially if the ball is located in a muddy hole in the water hazardous location and the like. Further, when the handle of the retriever is a long telescopic type, that is, when the telescopic handle is extended to its operational length, that is, 10 feet, 15 feet, 18 feet and the like, the cage end becomes shaky and difficult to retain in a stationary position to enable the ball to be contacted. Further, mispositioning of the cage can agitate the water and give it a muddy and unclear condition to make the retrieval difficult or impossible. Further, retrievers of the prior art are difficult to operate when the retrieval operation is performed in a tight and small space. When a ball rolls, for example, into a small hole at a water hazardous location, the wedging of the ball into the cage enclosure and its retention therein are challenges which have met with little or no success by the prior art devices. Eventually, the golfer may give up trying to retrieve the ball and will move on in an angry mood which may not help the golfer's game.
Retrievers are broadly old in the patented prior art as illustrated in the references cited below.
The U.S. Pat. No. 373,289 issued Nov. 15, 1887 to William H. Hart discloses the feature of interchangeability of tools on a rod member.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,632 issued Jan. 20, 1942 to Robert R. Hasty discloses a golf ball rake or retriever comprising a telescoping handle and a cage which are adjustable to various angular positions with respect to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,430 issued Aug. 9, 1966 to Homer T. Jenkins discloses a golf ball retriever comprising a retriever unit pivotally connected to a handle portion. The retriever unit having a wedging part of opposed members collects the ball by passing the ball through a pair of adjoining, resilient members to retain the ball therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,338 issued Jul. 3, 1973 to Robert W. Seeger discloses a golf ball retriever which is adapted to be removably attached to the end of an elongated rod. The retriever head comprises a plurality of elongated wires shaped into loops, which are secured within a tubular hub to form a cage-like structure. Upon contact with the ball, the opening of the loop is slightly expanded to receive the ball and then closes around the ball once it is within the cage-like structure.
Australia Patent No. 270,206 published May 12, 1966 to Kenneth E. Graham discloses a golf ball retriever having a cage-like member of a cylindrical formation of a diameter slightly larger than the ball.
None of the above-cited patents disclose or suggest alone or in combination the instant invention described and claimed herein.